Travel through time! From horse bus to Metrolink... the story of Greater Manchester's public transpo
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If you fancy a really interesting, unusual and enjoyable day out, why not pay a visit to the Museum of Transport, Greater Manchester? It's just like taking a trip back in time as you wander through one of Britain's biggest collections of restored buses, coaches and trams. Your amazing time-travelling journey will take you all the way from an elaborately painted Victorian open-top horse drawn bus,
to the streamlined prototype of Greater Manchester's Metrolink tram. In between you'll be able to see and sit in fascinating vehicles that range from early trams, trolley buses and even the 'charras' that took Greater Manchester folk on their outings to the coast and countryside. The museum is located within a genuine bus garage and features transport offices preserved like time capsules from the past, complete with original decor and furniture. There are also lots of smaller memory-joggers like old ticket machines, uniforms, timetables and photographs.
Our latest 'Saturday Showoff' can now be revealed! Our lovely friends at Stagecoach Manchester have repaired and repainted bus number 612 to its 1999 paint scheme and it's now back on display at our Museum - and we plan that it'll be in use on free bus services at some point.
It's 24th October 1983, and bus number 7484 has just arrived at Bury Interchange from Walshaw. This scene looks much the same today (except the buses) so it's our 'Throwback Thursday' photo this week.
Come on, let’s get this lovely bus secured for a long term future.
Can you help?
A unique opportunity has arisen for the LVVS to acquire a fully restored ex Lincolnshire Bristol L type single deck bus, FFW 830.
We're really keen to add this to our collection at the museum and secure its future within the county, but we need your help!
Please go to lvvs.org.uk/news to find out more and thank you for your interest.
Got your thinking caps on this afternoon? 🧠
Have a guess which year this pic of Wigan Bus Station was captured in.
Thanks to our pals over at The Museum of Transport Greater Manchester for another cracking shot. 🙂
In a few weeks' time we'll hold our inaugural 'Twilight Running' event, on Saturday 21 October. We'll be running lots of our buses, including - we hope - one that has NEVER operated on free services for us before.
The Museum will be open from 10 am to 8 pm that day, and we'll run two free heritage bus services. One will connect us with our lovely friends at Heaton Park Tramway, who are running tram services into the evening, and one will be a 'Park & Ride' connecting us with Queens Road Metrolink stop and the Irish Centre, Queens Road, where we've arranged for parking to be available.
Parking at the museum will be very difficult, so please use the Park & Ride service or public transport to get here.
Please note, we will NOT be running to Shudehill Interchange at this event.
We'll offer our legendary menu of refreshments all day, and we'll also have a 'bonanza' sales stall with pre-owned books, models and other memorabilia at discounted prices. If you want to polish your night photography techniques we'll have a photography expert on hand to show you hints and tips.
Grim day, grim surroundings... but it's today's 'Mystery Monday' post so we're challenging you to tell us where this is. Reply if you think you know, and we'll confirm the answer later.
If you're thinking of coming to our twilight running day on Saturday 21 October, you might like to know that we're having a Bumper Bundle Book Bargain Bonanza at the event! We're having a MASSIVE clearance of pre-loved transport books with prices starting at £1. Bring a bag! Event details at https://motgm.uk/events-themed.html
Parking at the Museum will be pretty much non-existent - please plan to use public transport to get here, or use our free park & ride bus service (details soon).
'Saturday Showoff' brings our collection to you each week. We featured Rochdale 235 not all that long ago, but we're showing it again because tomorrow it'll be at the Ellenroad Steam Museum near Rochdale, taking part in their autumn vehicle show. If you're in the area, pop by and say hello!
This week is an appropriate week for our 'Throwback Thursday' pic to show the deregulated GM Buses, combatting traffic as well as unregulated competition. The location is Exchange Square outside the Arndale Centre and you'll only find pedestrians and Metrolink trams at this spot today.
When John Greenwood launched the UK's very first bus service between Salford and Manchester in 1824, people nicknamed the buses 'Bees' because they were busily buzzing around the area... 🤔
It's 'Mystery Monday' and there's a reason why we've chosen this photo for this week's puzzle. Do you know what that is, and indeed do you know where this pic was snapped? We'll confirm the answer later.
Tomorrow, we're taking some buses including this lovely lady to Bolton, to help GM Mayor Andy Burnham launch the first phase of the Bee Network. We'll be in front of Bolton town hall from about 9.30 am to lunchtime, please come and say hello!
For no particular reason, we thought we'd show a yellow bus this week in our 'Saturday Showoff' slot where we bring our collection to you. It's a Yelloway AEC coach, very comfy for 1961 travellers!
If it tempts you to come and see the real thing, visiting details are on our website https://motgm.uk
Getting the bus was much better in the old days, right? Er well not really, if this 1984 'Throwback Thursday' pic of Manchester airport bus station is anything to go by. No real-time information, not much protection from the weather, and buses that had no step-free access for wheelchairs or pushchairs. That's what we like about our museum - we show not just how things were, but how far things have come.
Hi, how are you, got any plans for the weekend? No? Then head down to our classic car rally on Sunday - shiny paint and chrome and silver wheels a-plenty! Cars on display from 10 am to about 3 pm, details at https://motgm.uk/events-exhibitions.html
In May 1972, British Rail made a proposal to close the railway between Oldham and Rochdale. This is how one wag at SELNEC saw it! In the event the railway didn't close, and this stretch now sees the best service it's ever had as part of the Metrolink network.
This trolleybus had had a 'dewirement' when photographed - but as it's 'Mystery Monday', we want you to tell us where the photo was taken. If you think you know, reply and we'll confirm the answer later.
On This Day in 1965, Manchester's 'City Circle' service was withdrawn. It was an early attempt to link the city centre for shoppers and commuters, but it was unsuccessful. Today's free city centre bus services do the job much more successfully.
Today and tomorrow we're taking part in Heritage Open Days, a national celebration of the nation's heritage. Entry is free this weekend and we're running free heritage bus services to other heritage attractions - details here: https://motgm.uk/events-themed.html
Our museum depends on volunteers - if you fancy joining us we're really welcoming and we have tasks to suit any level of skill or commitment. If you fancy a no-commitment chat, just drop a line to our volunteer liaison officer at [email protected].
We love 'Throwback Thursday'! This week it's the old Salford Victoria bus station and we're watching buses depart to Whitefield, Peel Green, Bolton and elsewhere. And in the background, the just-closed Manchester Exchange station fills the skyline.
Please can you help us? We're restoring our Crossley Mancunian bus, Manchester 436. All its mechanical units were removed 70 years ago, before the rest was sold for further use as a caravan.
We've managed to find most running units including a gearbox and engine. But 436 is unusual as it has its differential located on the offside. We have a postwar Crossley prop shaft that fits our prewar bus, but the centre bearing doesn't - because the centre bearing has been made for a nearside differential with a different 'offset' angle.
We're seeking a propshaft centre bearing for an offside differential - it probably doesn't need to be a specific Crossley product. The pic shows the wrong centre bearing to give you an idea.
If you can help, please message us or drop a mail to [email protected].
With a little help and advice from us, our friends at Centrebus have painted this bus in North Western Road Car colours for their D&G routes in Cheshire & north Derbyshire. Doesn't it look the business?
This week's 'Mystery Monday' photo has a railway theme. It's in the north west, but where is it? Reply below and we'll confirm the answer later.
We’re offering free admission to our museum and free bus rides for both weekends of Heritage Open Days.
For Joseph William Smith, we can’t reply to your message as you’ve switched off the option to receive Messenger messages. But our opening hours are 10 am to 4.30 pm on Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.
Fancy a trip in time? We'll take you back! Today and next weekend we're taking part in Heritage Open Days - that means free entry to our museum, and a free bus linking us, Manchester Jewish Museum, Museum of Science & Industry Manchester and the People's History Museum. Details on our website motgm.uk.
Discover Greater Manchester's public road transport history! Fascinating display of buses, coaches, trams & historic objects inside a 1930s bus garage. Period Tea Room and Shop, plus take a free trip on our buses on certain days throughout the year...
This weekend and next weekend we're celebrating the national Heritage Open Days by opening for free, and running free bus services between our museum and our friends at the Manchester Jewish Museum, Science & Industry Museum Manchester, and the People's History Museum. Come along and take a trip back in time!
This week's 'Throwback Thursday' photo takes us to... Liverpool Pier Head! For very many years, the 320 connected Wigan, St. Helens and Liverpool and it continued after deregulation, although according to our records it has only run between Wigan and St Helens since June 1995.
Most of our collection of buses are fully restored, but we do have a little queue of projects that we haven't started yet. Here are two of them - Manchester 55 of 1962, and Stockport 185 of 1936. You can help our restoration fund by donating at https://museum_of_transport_greater_manchester.donr.com/motgm; or text MOTGM to 70085 to donate £10. Texts cost the donation amount plus one standard network rate message
This is a rather gloomy evening view - but where is it? It's our 'Mystery Monday' pic for this week, so tell us if you think you know and we'll confirm the answer later. And as it's a night-time photo, that reminds us to tell you that on Saturday 21 October we'll hold our first Twilight Running Day event: https://motgm.uk/events-themed.html
With many thanks to Stagecoach chums
Something stripy this way comes...
Our 'Saturday Showoff' showcases our collection and hopefully tempts you to visit. This week it's Bolton 77, a rather lovely 1956 Leyland. If you'd like to see the real thing, details on visiting are at https://motgm.uk
Please can you help us? We're on the look-out for an Alexander bus front like the one in this picture (the photo shows a Daimler Fleetline but an Atlantean one would be just as good). It doesn't matter if it needs repair, we can arrange that. If you have one lying around that you could sell to us, please message us or drop a line to [email protected].
'Throwback Thursday' this week takes us to the old Ashton bus station, watching a blue bus from Ashton Corporation and a green one from the Stalybridge, Hyde, Mossley & Dukinfield Joint Transport Board. The latter was generally known as 'SHMD' or ‘the Joint Board’ - phew!
Collecting fares was part & parcel of operating or travelling on buses - and thanks to a bequest, we have a wonderful collection of ticket machines showing the history of paying for your bus journey. Just a fraction of them are in a brand new presentation in our upper display hall.
For a bank holiday 'Mystery Monday' pic we have a very pleasant scene showing a North Western bus, a Jaguar and some countryside. But where was it? Tell us if you think you know, and we'll confirm the answer later.
We're running FREE buses tomorrow! And they're completely FREE! We're running every hour between our museum, Corporation St (stop NU) and Shudehill Interchange. And it's free. Times are on our website at https://motgm.uk/events-buses.html . Did we mention that our bus services are completely free?
On This Day in 1901, Stockport Corporation began its first electric tram service. The town ended up having Greater Manchester's last traditional trams, as the last one clanked into the depot in 25 August 1951 after exactly half a century of service.
'Throwback Thursday' this week takes us to pre-Metrolink Piccadilly bus station in central Manchester, watching a GM Buses Metrobus and a 'Bee Line Buzz Company' service to Rushcroft near Oldham. Bee Line had started with a big fleet of minibuses buzzing around, but this second-hand Leyland didn't so much 'buzz' as 'bumble'...
Boyle Street, Cheetham
Manchester
M88UW
| Wednesday | 10am - 4:30pm |
| Saturday | 10am - 4:30pm |
| Sunday | 10am - 4:30pm |
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This is 'Boyle Street Metrolink stop' in our museum, where the prototype Metrolink 1000 lives. Recently our friends at https://ukdepartureboards.co.uk/ supplied something to add to the atmosphere!
Little steps forward... This is the engine for our 1934 Manchester Crossley bus that we're restoring, and the engine repairers are making progress. But we need your help to finish the job - if you can make a donation, please visit our fundraising page at https://museum_of_transport_greater_manchester.donr.com/436 You can also donate by texting CROSSLEY followed by your donation amount to 70085 - so to donate £20, text CROSSLEY 20 to 70085.
For 'Throwback Thursday' this week, let's just hang around near Piccadilly bus station and watch 1960 buses drive by.
At a loose end this weekend? Come and have a free vintage bus ride, linking Shudehill Interchange and Corporation Street (stop NU) with our Museum as part of our 'Spring Spectacular' event. Runs every 20 minutes from Stand E at Shudehill, for details see our website. https://motgm.uk/events-buses.html#centreshuttle4
If you're thinking of coming to our Spring Spectacular weekend, parking is very limited so you're best off coming by public transport. You can catch a tram or bus to Queens Road, or our heritage bus service every 20 minutes from Stand E, Shudehill Interchange (but be aware that trams won't serve Shudehill on Sunday due to engineering work). For more details about the event, see https://motgm.uk/events-markets.html#tss
A few weeks ago, we showed you our lovely 1936 Stockport single decker bus having a rare moment outside. It was on its way to an offsite storage location pending its turn for restoration, and we thought we'd show you a little bit more about how we moved it.
Our 'Saturday Showoff' brings our collection to you, but this week, we're taking you for a ride! Specifically, a ride on our 1972 Leyland National EX30. For the full 1970s experience, turn the sound up 😉
Hands up if you'd like a FREE bus ride today! As part of our participation in England's Heritage Open Days this weekend and next weekend, we're running a vintage bus service linking us with our friends at the Science & Industry Museum Manchester and the People's History Museum. Oh, and admission to our museum this weekend and next is absolutely free too... Details on our website https://motgm.uk/events-themed.html#heritage
This week, the Museum of Transport was honoured to host a dual ceremony in front of invited guests and museum volunteers. The first part of the ceremony was to accept the 1901 golden key that was made to inaugurate the Manchester tramways system and which disappeared for over a century until the Museum crowdfunded its purchase at auction not long before the pandemic. The key was formally accepted by GMTS Chairman Dennis Talbot from Cllr Tommy Judge, Lord Mayor of the City of Manchester. The second part of the ceremony was to accept the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service 2020, a prestigious honour given to about 200 voluntary bodies and charities each year. The award was presented by Felicity Goodey CBE, a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen. We set up a video camera to watch the event and although the proceedings were too long to show here in full, we'd like you to hear Felicity Goodey's speech explaining why the Society operating the Museum was honoured with the award, and how the award was deserved by those who give their time freely for the community.
Tracy's just doing some cleaning and dusting so we can welcome you back - from tomorrow we're open again 10 am to 4.30 pm every weekend (but not on Wednesdays until further notice). We're clean, safe and ready to go - see our website https://motgm.uk/visit-secure.html for details.
We're reopening from this Saturday, 26 September, weekends only. It's been hard for us but we're glad to be back - take a look at what we've done to prepare. For more detail on visiting us safely, visit https://motgm.uk/visit-secure.html
We're working behind the scenes to improve our museum displays and reopen safely as soon as we can - watch this space for announcements on when we can set an opening date but it won't be before September. In the meantime, being closed has been really hard on our finances - if you can help, please make a donation at www.tinyurl.com/gmtsappeal.
We've been giving you some backgrounds for your video chats - here's a moving one! [by the way we're pretty sure movie backgrounds aren't compatible with MS Teams so don't use it if that's your video chat platform] http://gmts.co.uk/backgrounds/MoTGMvideo.mov
Please don't travel by bus, train or tram for pleasure - to protect yourself, drivers and your family. If you're missing a bus ride, take a virtual one! This is Lancashire United 27 giving rides at one of our past events. Turn the sound up for maximum enjoyment! Being closed means we've missed two major events plus many days' opening to the public, which has given us a huge headache with no income coming in. If you enjoy the virtual bus ride, please think about paying a 'virtual bus fare' at our fundraising page at https://buff.ly/3bYIGFd. We fully understand if you can't - many people have challenges, but if you can make a donation no matter how small it would be appreciated.
Come back in time to 1959 and watch the traffic in Piccadilly for a couple of minutes - and marvel at how few cars there were...
For 'Throwback Thursday' this week we have a gem! Take a look at the 'Trans Lancs Express' service in 1972 serving Manchester Airport. You can watch without sound but you'll miss the clipped tones of Michael Aspel as narrator.
Today is International Women's Day . Transport undertakings were notoriously slow to recognise the role that women could play so we're paying tribute to the women who served our transport needs during the second world war.
On 5 July we'll be holding a special '100 years of Salford buses' event. Make a note in your diary! For details see http://www.gmts.co.uk/themed-events.html#salford
If you were around in the 1970s and 1980s, you'll almost certainly remember the Leyland National sound... (turn up the volume to get the full rattle effect)
New Year getting you down already? Have you thought about volunteering with us? How much time you spend is up to you and we're a very friendly bunch./ If you want to know more, go to http://www.gmts.co.uk/get-involved.html
Next weekend we're holding our annual 'Christmas Cracker' event - stalls, gifts, our legendary hot food and a free 'Centre Shuttle 4' bus service from Shudehill Interchange - for details see http://www.gmts.co.uk/what-s-on.html#tcc And for the first time in a long time, we have more stalls booked for the Sunday than the Saturday - so make a date!
If you fancy volunteering but don't want to hold a spanner, we have so much more to offer! Our fantastic archive needs help too - if you'd like to find out more, go to http://www.gmts.co.uk/get-involved.html for details.
It's only three weeks to our annual Christmas Cracker event on Sat/Sun 7/8 December. Books, memorabilia, photos, and free heritage bus rides too! And this year for the first time in a long time, we have more stalls booked on the Sunday than the Saturday. So don't miss out! More details at http://www.gmts.co.uk/what-s-on.html#tcc
We're trying to put our 1934 Crossley 'Mancunian' number 436 back on the road. But it's a huge task and we need funds to buy spare parts of specialist services. Please can you make a small donation? Every pound will help. For details and how to donate, please visit http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fund/mctd436
We've heard of a quick getaway but this is ridiculous... PS yes we know many of the buses are smoky, their engines were still cold as they'd just set off from the Museum. The smoke cleared up within a few hundred metres.
On this day 33 years ago, on 26 October 1986, bus services were de-regulated. Here's how GMT told the public about the change to GM Buses...
It's not too late to come and have a trip back in time! Today we're running our 'Centre Shuttle 4' free heritage bus service between the museum and Shudehill Interchange (Stand E), calling at Corporation St (stop NU) to connect with the 'Manchester Victoria 175' open day.
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